The Washington critic., 1887-09-02
SPORTS OF THE SEASON.

A war Is to b. made on the pool-room',
where baseball cnmbu itions are sold. Inc
object, It / aid, is to benefit the national
game. l. city how this is to bc done Is
not shown. 1t Il claimed that betting on
the game ia a direct Injury to the sport and
induces hippodromlug and dishonest play
ing Pres drit Won der Abe OF the Amerl-
lean Associate ion is reported to have said
concerning the pOOl-rooms
They are disgrace to the game. The pool.
room IL simply lpailnP place for boys ana
young men who should be putting their time
to better use.
1t is certainly commendablc In Mr.. Won
der Ahe to take such a deep interest In tue
moral welfare Of the youth OF the country.
Had he said no more he could have posed
as public moralist, but unwittingly he
gives the whole snap away 10 employ
the elegant dlction OF ala Mascotte") In
the following words:
They are also direct injury to the game,
50 far AS the attendance Is concerned, here'
tnturc there was large population ldie III tne
afternoon who attended the games, Rc
Gently many OF this number have cuntentcl
themselves by lounging In the pool-rooms ana
reading the score Of the game as II Is Dul'
letined there.
That Is the case exactly. Those who
pAtronize the poolroom stay away from the
game The pool-rooms have become a
popular Institution In that they are the only
places where one can speculate on what Is
generally believed to be the only honestly
conducted sport In the country. Mr.. Won
der Abe wants to close them because they
are rival attraction, His pocketbook Is
hurt, but with hypocritical sigh he be-
mOans the sad state OF the morals OF the
rising generation. Now, The Critic has
no intention OF defending the pool-rooms
or the practice OF betting on any sport. 1t
takes circumstances rs 1t finds them.
To THE CRiTIC's mind, betting on ball
games is no worse or better than betting on
horse races. The friends of the turf claim
that the very existence OF the turf depends
upon the freedom OF betting. Jerome Park
was closed because betting was not allowed.
But MIR Won der Abe and other supporters
| Of the national game claim that 1t Is Injured
by betting, and that dishonest playing is the
result Of II. Now, every one knows that
| the very life OF betting depends upon the
| degree Of honesty with which the event in
question Ia conducted.
When horses were pulled and races were
| fixed at Brighton Beach, speculation
languished, the public stayed away and the
place became a stencil In the nostrils OF
every honest sportsman. Things are DIFF
ferent now and betting is vigorously In
dulged In. It Ia evident that betting does
not induce dishonesty, and closing pool
rooms and forbidding betting will no,
cause honest playing. Strike at the root Of
the evil-the players II they are crooked
they will cell games and play badly without
the existence of pool-rooms. Mr.. Won del
| Abe says further:
We will strike directly at this class by pass
| ing rule prohibiting any telegranhc report
| of a game being sent from a ball park to q
| pool-room. Baseball has got to be too muol
| Of bus mess to allow these dens to cut into
/ and nprhnns IIliu ia fmfupa ynllfara and
| prosperity.
| From these quotations It is apparent tina
what Mr.. Won der Abe and his friends car,
for Is not the welfare OF the game or OF th,
young men, but the gate receipts. II,
wants to shut up place that takes his pat
rons. Well, why not open pool-rooms OF
the ball grounds In this way the specula
tive portion OF the baseball public would b,
| grati1eG aud the attendance would be In
creased. II 10 not necessary to place tn,
stands In such positions that they would b,
offensive to those spectators who are op
posed to betting as a matter Of principle
Regard for the comfort Of every one should
he maintained OF course this suggestion
will at once excite the howl that Mr.. VoI
der Abe assiduously cultivates, the gam
will suffer; 1t will fall into It's former III
repute. This ia mere bugaboo. Will
baseball, unlike horse-racing, does not de
pend on betting, 1t certainly cannot be In
jured by 1t.